Curse
by LoveSuperman
Summary: Smallville, Kansas. A perfectly normal town- to people who don't live in it. But the town is full of crazy, almost on a weekly basis some of the weirdest things always happen. Lois is always covering the story for the school paper and Clark is always trying to help people. Somehow they always end up working together, and manage to keep two huge secrets from one another.
1. Prologue

**Prologue**

Smallville, Kansas

_October 16, 1989_

It was like every other day in Smallville, the _Creamed Corn Capital of the World_, like all the other days before, it was calm, quiet. It was a normal day, and Colonel Sam Lane was enjoying his time with his family. It had been a while since he had last been home. Today was a good day, after five months away he was finally back, and because of the everyone had decided to throw a welcome part for him.

Strange, that was what he would call it, strange. It was strange living on Earth, no matter how many years he'd already had to get used to it, he still found it strange. A family of aliens, inconspicuously blending in with humans. But he was happy, he couldn't deny that. Especially on that day, because his family was with him, siblings, nephews, nieces, parents, in-laws, his wife, his children, all there to welcome him back.

"Sam."

He turned his head, meeting his wife's brown eyes, noting the amusement in them. He arched an eyebrow, "Yes?"

"You're missing the party," Lilian groaned, wrapping her arms around her husband's waist, "The kids are playing, let them play, they're fine."

"I know they are," he replied, smiling softly before he turned his attention back to his kids. His two kids; Lucas and Lois were running around the backyard, laughter and giggles filling the air as Lucas chased his younger sister around.

"Then come back inside," Lilian said, pursing her lips, "Michael has been dying to spend time with his favorite uncle," she added, poking at his stomach.

Sam rolled his eyes, but smiled nonetheless at the thought of his oldest nephew, only a year older than his own son. Sam had a large appreciation for the young child, he was full of light and laughter, giddy, always smiling and making it his mission to make everyone else happy.

"Your brother has brainwashed his son into loving me," Sam joked, "It's unnatural."

"Michael adores you! Lucas had nothing to do with it! Besides, you love Lucas, so I don't see you quite bothered by it," Lilian laughed.

Sam chuckled, "What makes you think I love your brother?" He inquired.

"Oh, I don't know, the fact that you named your son after him?" She offered.

"Tell Michael I'll be right in," Sam said after a roll of his eyes, shaking his head slightly.

Lilian grinned and rose on her tippy toes to press a soft kiss to her husband's cheek, "Don't take long."

He didn't answer her, instead he continued to look at his children as they ran and laughed. Neither of them had yet to develop any of their abilities. Lucas was only four, it would be another year before he started to develop anything, and Lois would need another three years. He stared at them for a little moment longer before walking back inside, smiling at the sight of his family roaming around the kitchen, the dining room and the living room.

Michael attacked his legs, almost throwing him off balance. Unlike Sam's son, Michael was already five years old, and because of that, Michael had started to develop two abilities; super strength and super speed. And he wasn't the only one, his niece Victoria was also five, and she was developing her strength and speed, and unlike Michael, Victoria was a lot more wild.

"General! Come on!"

Sam smiled, reaching down to pick up the younger child. Wincing slightly at the tight grip Michael had on his neck.

"So, what do you want to do?" Leopold inquired, eyebrow raised, smiling widely at the sound of yelling that came after a loud crash.

* * *

Lionel Luthor read over the paper once more; Queen Industries CEO and his wife had tragically died in a plane crash, leaving his young son behind. He smirked, folding up the newspaper and looking over at his own son, noticing the eyes shut tight and the grimace.

"Open your eyes, Lex!" Lionel ordered, clearly annoyed.

"I can't!" The young redheaded boy screamed, gripping his seat.

"You're never going to get anywhere with you eyes closed," Lionel spat, "Luthors are not afraid, we don't have that luxury, we're leaders, Lex."

Alexander Luthor, more commonly referred to as Lex, was more than scared, he hated going on helicopters, he hated every single moment of the flight and he didn't understand why his father would keep making him get on them, but he'd learned long ago that his father was not a kind man, and he knew there would be consequences for not listening, and they were much worse than just simply opening his eyes. So that's what he did, he opened his eyes, his gaze landing on rows upon rows of corn plants, and they were all moving quickly.

Panic, that was the only thing he felt as he stared at all the green that passed under him; simple panic, and he couldn't breath, he gasped for air, fumbling to reach for his inhaler, bringing it up to his lips and breathing heavily, eyes wide as he tried to settle himself.

* * *

Jonathan and Martha Kent were two of the most well known people in Smallville. Jonathan Kent was born and bred in the small town, his wife was a city girl who'd fallen in love with a farmer's son. They were happy, but there was always one thing missing.

The two walked into the local flower shop, owned and ran by Nell Potter, an old high school flame of Jonathan's. He had long ago gotten over her, but he wasn't sure she felt the same.

He sent the woman in questions wide bright smile, "Afternoon, Nell," he greeted.

Nell looked met his eyes and offered him a bright smile of her own, "Jonathan," she greeted happily, though spotting Martha right behind her husband a second after made the smile fell from her face for a second before it was replaced by a fake friendly smile, "Martha," she added. "What brings the reclusive Kent's to town?" Nell inquired, arching an eyebrow.

"Tulips," Martha replied, smiling warmly, "Red ones if you have them."

Nell pursed her lips, nodding her head slowly and turning to motion to a flower behind her, "How about a tiger orchid?" She offered.

Jonathan smiled, shaking his head, "No thanks, Nell," he told her, "Martha has her heart set on tulips."

"Yes, well, they are a very uncomplicated flower," Nell muttered, walking off.

Martha exchanged an amused glance with her husband while he gave her a sheepish grin, she tucked a strand of auburn hair behind her ear as she walked over to a small table, where a young girl was sitting, only three years old, dressed in fluffy pink dress, a bright smile lighting up her face. Martha crouched beside the girl, smiling widely.

"That's a beautiful dress, Lana," she complimented, "Are you a princess?"

Lana grinned up at the older woman, holding a wand in her hand, giggling loudly, "I'm a fairy princess," she said.

Jonathan smiled at the sight of his wife with young girl. He looked out into the general area where Nell had disappeared. "Hey, where're her parents?" He called out.

"They're at the homecoming game with everyone else," Nell replied, coming out with a bouquet of red tulips in hand, " I'm being the good aunt," she added with a chuckle.

Martha turned away from Nell when she finished speaking and looked at the little girl once again, "Do you want to make a wish?" Lana inquired, staring at the woman with a curious expression.

"I would love to make a wish," Martha replied, smiling and closing her eyes as Lana raised the wand close to her face.

"Okay, abracadabra!" She exclaimed, grinning as the older woman opened her eyes.

* * *

Anna was holding her daughter in her arms, Victoria finally relaxing since she woke. Besides her and Jessica, who was sitting in a corner with many child's books splayed out in front of her, all the other children were playing, running around and causing havoc, none of the adults wanted to tell them to stop having fun. It was a family reunion, albeit not one that held all of their family, but the ones that lived on Earth.

Sam's wife's brother; Lucas, was sitting at his side, his daughter; Brenda sitting on his lap while his son; Michael sat on the floor in front of him, making funny faces to incite his younger sister's laughter. Krista; Lucas' wife had taken residence in the kitchen, accompanied by Lilian and Margaret; Lucas' and Lilian's younger sister, the sweet aroma of apple pie floating throughout the house.

Anna's husband; Robert was off to the side, talking to William; Margaret's husband, who was holding their son Tyler in his arms, while keeping a watchful eye on Jessica; his youngest child.

"You know," Lucas started, "I find it amazing how long Lucas had stayed out there with Lois."

"Yes, well, Lois can convince her older brother to do anything," Sam replied, chuckling.

"Lois can convince anyone to do anything," Anna laughed.

Robert and William came closer, joining the conversation, "I have to agree with that," William laughed, "But I'm sure Lucas is the one that would do the most for her, there's no bond like that of siblings."

"Now I have to agree with that," Sam nodded, nudging Anna on the side.

"Oh, brother," Anna laughed, shaking her head, returning her attention to her daughter.

Sam narrowed his eyes, "You don't believe me?"

"I'm not saying that, I'm just saying you weren't the most amicable brother out there. You could have done better," she replied, smirking slightly.

"Now, Anna, that's not true, your brother was the best brother in the world, or so you said."

Louis Lane walked into the living room, a glass of what Sam guessed was cognac in his hand. He smiled at his two children, nodding his greeting to the rest.

"I don't remember ever saying that," Anna replied, shaking her head.

"I do," Luis replied, "Now, you should go join your mother, she's waiting for you in the study," he declared.

Anna sighed, rising from her seat on the sofa and handing over her daughter to her husband, who gladly took her in his arms. As she walked away, Lilian came out of the kitchen, smiling, "Kids!" She called out, "Pie's ready!"

They took off quickly, jumping from arms and couches, jumping up from the ground. It was like a stampede of small children, and soon enough they were gone.

"Well," William started, looking around the now empty living room, "You want to call in your kids for pie?" He asked, looking at Sam with raised eyebrows.

"No, Lois won't stop playing just because of pie," he replied with a laugh, "Now, if you excuse me, I wish to get a piece of Krista's masterpiece before the kids eat it all," he added, rising from the sofa and walking over to the kitchen, greeting his wife with a kiss to her cheek.

* * *

Jonathan slipped into the truck beside his wife, glancing over at her, noting how she laid on her side, staring out the car's window. He scooted closer, smiling to himself, "I know what you wished for," he declared.

Martha peeked out at him from the corner of her eyes, smiling, "All I see is a little face," she sighed, "It's all I've ever wanted," she added, turning to face her husband.

Jonathan smiled, a soft, comforting smile and leaned forward to press his lips against hers. It lasted only a few seconds, as at that moment there was loud honks and cheers from the street and he pulled away to glance out the window, smiling brightly at the sight of the lines of cars fulls of teenagers that's just come from the game, all cheering loudly.

"Hey," he laughed, "Looks like Smallville won again," he said, starting the engine of the truck and pulling out of his parking spot.

* * *

Lex glanced over at his father, too busy with business to notice him, and then wandered into the corn crops, walking and walking, stopping only when he heard a noise, a call.

"Help me."

He turned around, turning in circles, trying to find the source, but there was nothing in sight. The call came again, and again and panic started to grow in his chest. He took off running, breathing heavily. He kept running until he reached clearing, calming slightly before he saw the scarecrow post in front of him, though there was no scarecrow, instead there was a man, stripped only to his boxers, with a red S painted on his chest.

"Hey, kid," the man greeted.

Lex gasped, walking backwards to get away, but ended up tripping over a rock, falling. He was gasping, trying to take in a breath, but it was becoming too hard.

"Help me, please," the man begged.

Lex's eyes widened, bringing his inhaler to his mouth, but it wasn't even a second after when he noticed the large ball of fire hurtling toward them from the sky. He screamed, and started running, but it didn't help at all, as soon as the large ball hit the ground Lex was thrown forward.

Lionel ran towards the corn fields in a panic, pushing past the corn stocks, calling out his son's name in desperation.

"Lex, where are you?" He yelled, looking around.

He finally reached a clearing, a large clearing, all the crops had been flattened to the ground. His eyes landed on a strand of red hair immediately and he leaned down to retrieve it, dread settling in his stomach. But before he could lose all hope, he heard small whimpers. He looked around wildly, eyes landing on a bulge on the ground. He surged forward, moving the corn plants, shocked at the sight of his son curled up on the ground, trembling, all of his hair missing.

* * *

Lucas smiled brightly at his younger sister, chuckling as he watched her laugh. The younger girl running around, cooing at all the flowers. It was a perfect moment, a small moment, the type that mattered, the ones he wished to remember when he was older, older than he already was.

Lucas was physically young, a body of a four year old, the mind of a ten year old, the soul of a man who'd lived for many years. His people called him an old soul, such a soul had experienced many lives, experienced many things. It was an honor to be blessed by Rao with an old soul.

"Lucas!" Lois called out, her small girly voice carried throughout the yard and he looked up from the lily he was examining, a smile on his lips, one that quickly fell when he saw his younger sister pointing up at the sky, eyes wide with wonder.

"Lois!" He screamed, terrified. And then he was running, pushing forward, willing his legs to move faster and faster, "Lois, run!"

She turned to him, confused, her mouth open, "Lucas?" She asked.

And before Lucas could process anything anymore, Lois was flying through the air, thrown back by the impact of the meteor clashing with Earth. Dirt, rocks, flowers, trees, all erupting from the ground, and then there was nothing but pain. Everything that surrounded him was pain. It was like his blood was boiling, a migraine started in his head, his muscles burned, his stomach ached, every organ in his body felt like it was on fire.

He cried out, feeling hot tears as they streamed down his face, and then it wasn't just him crying out in pain, it was his little sister as well.

Lois sprawled out on the ground a few years from him, dirt and blood covering her arms and face, arms were extended towards him, tears flowing from her eyes, screams falling from her lips. She was scared, and she was in pain.

He pushed himself off the ground, dropping one again as soon as he got up. If her were older he would've been able to sustain the pain longer, he would've been able to move from where he was, he would've been able to help his sister.

All Lucas could do was extend his hands towards her, calling out her name, trying to ignore the pain he felt. Suddenly he was being lifted off the ground, held to his father's chest.

Sam Lane clenched his teeth, pushing past the pain the Kryptonite was inflicting on him. He could ignore it, for now, he could ignore the pain to save his children, he _had_ to save them. His heart broke at the sight of them out here, laying on the ground, writhing in pain. As soon as he had Lucas in his arms, he surged for Lois, his movements slowing as the pain hit him. Lois was closer to the meteor. He let out a groan, taking in a deep breath and pushed on forward, taking his little girl in his arms and starting to run again.

Lilian was waiting for him at the back door, gripping at the door frame, the wood crushing under her fingers. "I thought I told you to go underground," Sam said.

"Yeah, you also said that you would be find out there," Lilian replied, reaching over to take Lois from his arms, pressing kisses to her daughters' face. She looked over at Sam again, her eyes falling on the scene outside, before going back to her husband and reaching up to his ear, wiping at the blood that had trickled down his ear. "And you're clearly not."

"Let's go!" William yelled, appearing at the door frame of a door.

They all made it to the door as the ground shook once again as a meteor crashed into the Earth, making their way down the stairs, walking into the pool room, continuing to walk, making their way to the led door, already open for them, they closed the door behind them, continuing down the stairs until they reached a room that was three stories below.

"My poor baby," Lilian cried, tears pooling her eyes as she looked over the cuts on Lois' body. Robert was quick to take both children, sitting them on the counter and looking over them, when he was finished, they were already healed.

"They're fine," Robert declared, looking over at Sam, frowning when he noticed the blood, "You want me to check that out?"

"No," Sam said, shaking his head, "I'm fine, it was just a minor bleed."

"I don't think bleeding from your ear consists of a minor bleed, especially if Kryptonite was the cause for the bleed," Lavender Lane; Sam's mother, said, crossing her arms over her chest.

"It's healed," Sam replied, walking over to his children, taking them into a tight hug, letting his eyes fall shut.

"I love you, daddy," Lois murmured in his ear.

Sam pressed a kiss to her head, breathing heavily. He felt arms wrap around his waist, and he knew it was his wife. He hadn't been this afraid in a long time, he'd almost lost his children, that wasn't something any parent should ever go through.

"I hate to interrupt," William started, "But you guys all realize what this means, right?"

"Of course we do," Margaret said, rolling her eyes and smacking his arm.

"The Last Son is finally on Earth," Louis sighed, closing his eyes and taking a deep breath.

Sam pulled away from his children, but still kept his arms around them, "This isn't right, he shouldn't have been here this soon," he declared.

"We were sure of the time, this shouldn't have happened," Robert frowned, rubbing his forehead.

"Contact Prime," John Stewart; Lilian's father declared, "Let them know what's happened."

* * *

Nell looked up at the sky with wide eyes, "What on God's Earth?" She murmured, holding on tightly to the young girl in her arms as she stared up at the large flying rock.

People were spread out on the street, looking up at the sky with wonder. Murmurs were heard throughout the town square. A couple; Blah and Blah Lang, parked their car and quickly got out, Blah smiling and waving at her daughter, who currently resided in Nell's arms.

"Mommy, Daddy!" Lana cried out happily, waving madly.

"Hi, Lana!" Laura greeted, smiling.

But that small moment of happiness was ruined. The rock that'd been in the sky moment before had no crashed onto the car of the couple, killing them instantly. The people in the town's square started running, yelling out in fright. And all Lana Lang could do was cry as her aunt held her tightly on her arms.

* * *

"Jonathan!" Martha cried out, looking around wildly as she watched the meteors crashing down on the earth around them. "What's happening, Jonathan?"

Before Jonathan could reply, another meteor hit the street. He tried to stop, swerving to avoid the rock, and he did, he avoided the rock, but his truck ended up upside down on the side of the road, rolling a few times before it came to a stop.

Martha and Jonathan hung upside down for a moment, groaning. Finally, Jonathan opened his eyes, instinctively looking out the window. He was surprised to see small, bare feet walking towards him, and even more surprise when the smaller boy crouched down, smiling widely, he didn't seem bothered at all by the to rocks under his feet or the cold air hitting against his bare skin.

"Martha," Jonathan called out hesitantly.

Martha groaned, turning her head to look over, eyes landing on the small boy. Her mouth falling open in shock. The boy's smile only widened.

After a slight struggle, Jonathan got out of the car, looking down at the boy, eyebrows raising. The boy only smiled in return. Jonathan helped Martha out of the truck, being careful not to hurt her. Before Martha got fully out of the car she reached under the seat and produced a blanket, wrapping it around the naked boy, receiving a wide smile. She returned the smile and extended her arms slowly, hesitantly, and the boys' smile widened before reaching up to her. Martha felt a burst of happiness flow through her and she reached down to take him in his arms.

Jonathan stared at the two for a moment and then turned around, starting to walk towards the street.

Martha carried the boy in her arms, wrapped up in a blankets as she walked through the rubble, following closely behind her husband.

They had been discussing the child ever since they managed to escape the trap that their truck had turned into.

"Kids don't just fall out of the sky, Martha," Jonathan sighed, trudging forward.

"Then where did he come from?" Martha challenged.

"I don't know, but he must have parents," he declared. He stopped dead in his tracks, eyes widening and mouth falling open.

"What is it?" Martha asked, walking forward. Her eyes landed on the large machine in the crater. She looked at the child in her arms, "Well, if he does have any, they're definitely not from Kansas."

Jonathan looked at his wife, sighing. "Sweetheart, we can't keep him," he declared. "What are we going to tell people? That we found him out in a field?"

Martha smiled, looking at the child, a small seed of hope planting itself in her heart, "We didn't find him, he found us."


	2. Hero

**Hero**

Smallville, Kansas

**_Monday, July 23, 2001_**

LOIS

"I think twenty thousand is in order," Lois nodded, tapping her fingers on the car's hood, staring at the shiny black paint under her. Her older brothers' '71 Plymouth Barracuda was one of her favorite cars in the world, mostly because she'd grown up in it, both her and her brother did.

Back when their father, Sam Lane, wasn't a General, they'd had a lot more time with him, given that he was at home a lot more, and their life consisted almost entirely of road trips. They stopped at every small town, it didn't matter how small, they stopped, they explored and they would be on the road again. It was the four of them, the Lane family against the world. As her father moved up the ranks, he got busier, and then the family company got more successful and her mother also got busier, and there wasn't any more road trips.

The car was given to Lucas when her father became a general, and he had taken it happily, according to him; no matter how much happened, how many years passed, he would make sure to keep the car in the family.

Lois met her brother's eyes, leafgreen, always happy, always warm. Lois had learned long ago that her brother's eyes were a window to his soul, the old saying wasn't at all an understatement.

"Twenty thousand? You must be joking," he declared, shaking his head.

"I'm not," Lois replied, shrugging her shoulders.

Lucas shook his head again, opting for laying down against the windshield, letting the sun's rays beat down on him, his eyes were closed, a small satisfied smile on his face.

"You're insane if you think I'm going to give you twenty thousand," he murmured.

Lois rolled her eyes, shaking her head, "How about we reach a compromise?" She offered, meeting the eyes one of the onlookers in the school parking lot before they hastily looked away.

"Ten thousand," Lucas declared.

"Eighteen," Lois replied immediately.

"Twelve."

Lois rolled her eyes, "Sixteen thousand."

Lucas finally opened his eyes to meet hers, "Fifteen thousand and that's as high as I'll go."

"Deal," Lois smiled, nodding her head and patting his chest.

They settled into a comfortable silence, the crisp morning air a real comfort for Lois. She wasn't a particular fan of waking up early, but when she did wake up that early she loved the morning air. She would be experiencing it a lot more again, given that school had started up. It was the first day of school.

"How does it feel?" Lucas inquired, interrupting their silence, a silence of course that was surrounded by noise of cars and chatter, he sat up, leaning towards her, "being in the big leagues?"

"This is the big leagues? I'd hate to know what actual life is called," Lois laughed, causing her older brother to roll his eyes.

Lucas wrapped an arm around her shoulders, pulling her in for a hug, "Come on Lo, it's your first day of high school, be a little more excited," he chuckled.

"Well so far, my first day of high school has consisted of me sitting out here in the parking lot waiting for the bell to ring," Lois replied, arching an eyebrow.

"Hey," Lucas started, clearly indignant, "at least you went through the excitement of getting your schedule! The mass of students were brutal in there, I can't believe we lost Adam in there."

"Where _is_ Adam?" Lois inquired, surprised their friend hadn't showed up yet.

"He was probably eaten alive," Lucas shrugged, pulling away and resuming his comfortable position against the windshield.

Lois rolled her eyes at her brother's words, shaking her head. She was about to take out her phone to text Adam, but she spotted the guy walking toward them, laughing loudly as he walked with his best friend; her cousin Michael.

"Thanks for ditching me," Adam commented, though the wide grin on his face and the laughter in his eyes showed that he wasn't at all upset.

"Did they kidnap you?" Lucas inquired, sitting up again.

Michael laughed, throwing an arm around his best friend's shoulders, "I found him on top of some girl on the floor," he informed, "they seemed to be having a lot of fun."

"I fell," Adam shrugged, rolling his eyes, "she didn't seem to mind."

Lois rolled her eyes at his comment, but she chuckled anyways. Adam Knight was part of the select group of friends that knew about the family secret, which wasn't much of a surprise given the fact that Adam and Michael had been friends since they were three. It was funny, how they met, Michael and Adam had told Lois the story many times.

* * *

_April 12, 1989_

_Adam had been very careful as he poured the orange juice into his cup, tongue sticking out in concentration. He was very proud of himself once his cup was half full and he hadn't spilled a single drop. He carefully twisted the cap back on the juice and placed it back in the fridge, smiling widely to himself._

_It was then that Adam heard the knock on the door, three taps on the wood. He turned his head, a small frown coming onto his features._

_"Mommy! Someone's knocking!" He yelled, running out of the kitchen and towards the hall that lead to the front door._

_Adam quickly reached out, grabbing the knob and turning it, pulling open the large wooden door, coming face to face with a boy about his age who crying quietly._

_"Uhm, hey," Adam said slowly, confused._

_"Help me," the boy sobbed, "I don't know where I am."_

_Adam's mother, Amanda, came up behind him, "Adam? Who's this?" She didn't wait for his answer and scanned the street for any adults to which the child may belong to. "Sweetie, what's your name?"_

_"Michael," he replied, lip trembling._

_"Where're your parents, Michael?" Amanda asked._

_"They're at home," Michael said, voice shaking._

_Amanda turned momentarily to her son, "Go get my phone, Adam," she ordered, turning back to Michael with a soft smile. "What are your parents' names, Michael?"_

_"Lucas and Krista Stewart."_

_Amanda recognized the names immediately, she'd seen them on the newspaper and her TV enough times. "Okay, how about we take you inside and I'll call your parents to come and get you, okay?"_

_"Okay."_

_Michael stepped inside just as Adam tumbled down the stairs, a phone in hand. Adam handed it to his mother._

_"Adam, I need you to talk to Michael for a little while while I make a call, okay?"_

_"Okay, mommy," Adam nodded, watching his mother walk off before turning to the blonde boy, frowning. He didn't know what to do, so he did the only thing he could do, he grabbed the boys arm and lead him to the kitchen, dropping his hold on Michael and reaching for his juice. The first cup he'd ever poured without spilling anything at all. With a sigh, he held the cup out to Michael. "Here, drink some juice."_

_Michael nodded, smiling for the first time since he got lost, "Thanks."_

_Adam, proud of himself for making the boy smile, grinned widely, "You're welcome."_

* * *

"You seem pretty bored, Lo," Michael commented. "Not enjoying your first day of high school?"

"She's complaining that school hasn't started yet," Lucas declared, smiling slightly.

"The irony in that is incredible," Adam laughed.

"Lo has a full schedule," Lucas informed, reaching into my hoodie's pocket for the slip of paper, unfolding it and passing it over to the older boys.

"Sucks," Adam laughed, reading it over, "at least you have a free period."

"No elective?" Michael inquired.

"The Torch," Lois informed, "working for the school newspaper gives me credits in Journalism class."

Michael looked up, a clear expression of confusion on his face. "Why didn't you just take the actual Journalism class?"

"Because that's boring," Lois shrugged, momentarily distracted by Michael's hands; he was twirling his blue Kryptonite ring on his finger, which immediately caused her to look at her own for a moment.

"You know I'm just glad we don't start school 'till second period," Adam smiled.

"I don't know how you do that," Lois declared, shaking her head.

Adam frowned slightly, running a hand through his already messy black hair, "Do what? Look unbelievably sexy?"

Lois, accompanied by her brother and Michael, rolled her eyes, shaking her head. "I mean I don't know why you guys wake up so early in the morning when you will have like an hour and a half to kill before school starts."

"Someone has to drive you youngniens around," Michael shrugged, "I have to give Tyler and Jessie a ride, and Brenda starts class early as well so," he trailed off, shrugging.

"I'm an early bird," Adam smiled, making Michael snort.

"I drag you out of bed in the mornings," Michael laughed.

"Same thing," Adam shrugged, enticing a laugh from Lois.

She was glad that Adam was in her life, she'd grown up with him, he was family. Adam was bubbly, as opposed to the many males in her family, he was loud, obnoxious, a flirt, _fun_, he was refreshing.

The loud shrill of the bell cut their conversation short and Lois smiled happily, hopping off the hood of the car, reaching through the window into the passenger seat, grabbing her book bag, setting the strap on her shoulder and quickly kissing Lucas' cheek before bidding her goodbye to the boys and making her way towards the school building.

She didn't have much trouble finding her Homeroom, she'd cased out the school during orientation the week before and learned her way through the grounds. Maneuvering her way through students was easy enough, she'd done it before in Middle School, it just consisted of lots of weaving and speed walking.

Lois reached her Homeroom, which was actually the room used for the Torch. When she stepped inside, she was surprised to find no teacher and only one student; a young girl with cropped, layered blonde hair, she was dressed in spunky clothing, a tight brightly colored shirt with a daringly low and revealing neckline and a knee length jean skirt, a pair of boots finishing her outfit. She was standing by a desk, ruffling through a stack of papers.

Lois cleared her throat, offering a small smile as she met the radiant green eyes of the blonde. "Hey," she greeted, "I'm Lois."

"I know," the blonde replied, making Lois arch an eyebrow, "I mean, you're a Lane, it'd be weird if I didn't know who you were, that, and we were in eighth grade together."

"Just eighth?" Lois inquired.

"That's when I moved to Smallville," the blonde informed, "Chloe Sullivan," she introduced, sticking out her hand.

Lois smiled, she didn't really meet many students that actually greeted with handshakes. She took the blonde's hand, shaking it. "Lois Lane."

"Nice to finally meet you," Chloe smiled. "Now, I would pick out a desk if I were you, before all the others get here, I heard people get quite vicious."

"Thanks for the tip, Chlo," Lois smiled, setting her bag down on one of the desks facing the rest of the room. "You don't mind if I call you that do you? I always apply nicknames to people."

Chloe laughed, setting herself down on a chair, "Sure, as long as I get to call you _Lo_," she replied.

"Everyone already does," Lois laughed.

"That's pretty much the only nickname you can apply to your name," Chloe chuckled.

Before Lois could answer, a petite woman stepped into the room, clad in a pair of jeans and a black button up, a blazer slung over her shoulders, she was wearing glasses and her auburn hair was up in a ponytail, two white binders in hand.

"Mornin'," she smiled, setting her binders down on one of the desks, "I'm Miss. Robins, you can call me Emma," she declared, setting her hands at her hips.

Already Lois liked the woman, she seemed relaxed and bubbly, something Lois always appreciated in people.

"Chloe."

"Lois."

"Great!" Emma exclaimed, "I'll mostly show you the ropes, your free period is my prep period so I'll be with you guys then, only the first month or so, teach you the ropes, but then I'll just be leaving it to you guys," she informed, a small frown appearing on her face moments after, "though, I should probably wait until everyone's here."

"Yeah, probably," Chloe laughed.

At that moment, two boys walked into the classroom. One of them was shorter than the other, his hair almost to a buzz cut, wearing slightly baggy clothes and work boots. Lois recognized the guy as one of the Ross kids, she'd met him briefly before, her brother's and cousins' football connections to the boy's brothers helping in that matter, Lois is sure his name was something along the lines of Peter, or something close to that. The other boy on the other hand Lois knew well enough; Clark Kent, tall, baby blue eyed, all American farm boy. Of course she would know him, he was her neighbor, given, they were two miles apart, but they'd never really talked. The only time the two interacted was when Lois' mother and Martha Kent would spend their time cooking for some holiday or town event. The two women were good friends.

"Hey, Clark," Chloe greeted, "Pete."

_Pete_. That was the name.

"Chloe," the two boys greeted.

"Oh, goodie, more students!" Emma exclaimed excitedly. "You guys pick out a desk, there's gonna be sharing this year, first come first serve, you guys can have a desk to yourselves," she informed.

"Hey, Lois," Clark greeted as he walked by her desk, receiving a nod of greeting in return.

"Kent," Lois replied.

"Lois, I didn't expect _you_ to start working for the Torch," Pete commented, dropping his backpack on a desk and leaning against Lois'.

Lois smiled up at the boy, shrugging her shoulders, "I actually like journalism," she informed, "and I didn't want to join the actual class, my cousin Brenda took it last year, she said it was incredibly boring."

"Brenda was way too advanced for that class," Emma declared as she walked past the teens, "I don't understand why she picked it in the first place."

Lois smiled at the mention of her cousin. "She mentioned something along the lines of _expanding her horizons_," she chuckled.

The second bell rang, which caused the rest of the students working for the Torch to shuffle in, all of them were older, ten students at the most.

"We have a few more students this year, unfortunately we've only been supplied with a couple desks, which means most of them are going to be shared," Emma informed, clapping her hands once, "you'll be with this person for the rest of the year so chose wisely! Now, let the games begin!" She exclaimed dramatically.

Lois laughed as students rushed to desks, choosing partners. The desks were long, so two computers fit easily on each side, facing opposite ways. She was glad that she had gotten there early enough to get a desk to herself.

"Right," Emma started once everyone was settled, "this is how it's gonna work…"

* * *

"Fifteen thousand?" Brenda asked in surprise, looking up from her salad, eyebrow arched, green eyes wide.

"Fifteen thousand," Lois confirmed, smirking.

Brenda's brother, Michael, took a seat beside his younger sister, setting his tray down in front of him. "I'm surprised he didn't give in and just give her the twenty she wanted in the first place."

"Hey," Lucas declared indignantly, "I don't give in to her every demand."

Brenda and Michael exchanged a glance, chuckling. "Right," Brenda snorted.

Lois' smile widened when Adam plopped down beside her, planting a kiss on her cheek. Victoria sat across from him, jabbing her elbow into Michael's ribs, smiling. Victoria was Lois' cousin through her father's side, but she had bonded with Michael who wasn't related to Victoria at all. Lois guessed it was their age.

"So, how's your first day going, Lo?" Victoria asked, unwrapping her hot dog, a small satisfied smile on her face as she looked at her food.

"You guys have asked me that question about fifty times throughout the day," Lois said with a roll of her eyes. "Why don't you bother Jessie?"

"We tried," Michael sighed, shaking his head, looking utterly disappointed, "all she did was respond happily to everything we asked."

"Where is Jessie?" Lucas asked curiously.

"Tyler is trying to lure her out of the library at the moment," Adam informed, finishing a text on his phone before setting it down on the table.

"I doubt he's gonna be very successful," Michael declared.

Lois chuckled as she thought of her younger cousin. Jessica, most commonly referred to as Jessie by family, was a great student, a good girl. The family had all started their college courses in junior year, Jessie was starting already in her freshmen year. She kept up with her studies and managed to lead a normal human life, though Lois was sure her cousin was using her abilities to help her out.

"Hey."

Lois looked up, eyes falling on a petite redhead; Sophia. Sophia shoved playfully at Victoria, who scooted over, allowing Sophia to sit beside Michael.

"Ew, why are you here?" Adam asked, pursing his lips.

Sophia rolled her eyes, and shook her head at him, grabbing a grape from her tray and throwing it at him, enticing a chuckle from the few sitting at the table.

"Michael, control you girlfriend," Adam ordered playfully.

Sophia and her family were also part of the select group that knew about the family secret. It was pure coincidence how Sophia and Michael had met, though it was long before that that Michael had fallen for her, Adam always told the story, it was his favorite one to tell. He claimed that the smitten look on Michael's face had told him everything he needed to know.

* * *

_August 25, 1997_

_"That, my friend was a sick fall," Adam laughed, watching as Michael groaned and huffed as he laid on the cot in the ambulance, receiving a glare from the EMT. "I knew rock climbing was gonna cause you a YouTube worthy fall."_

_"I feel like everything in my body is completely and utterly broken," Michael said, his teeth clenched._

_Adam knew Michael was in too much pain at the moment to think of downplaying his injuries, but he knew better, it was something he'd learned to do since he'd become friends with Michael._

_"You'll be fine," Adam declared, "I'm sure just a bit bruised up."_

_"Your friend could be seriously hurt," the EMT declared._

_"I'm aware," Adam replied, and eyebrow arching, "but I don't see you doing anything at the moment that may signal that his life is about to end, and I like to keep a good viewpoint in life."_

_Michael laughed, which only caused him to groan._

_"You're not gonna start coughing up blood are you?" Adam asked wearily._

_"Shut up," Michael groaned, tears starting to gleam in his eyes._

_Adam sighed, frowning. He reached out and took Michael's hand in his, making sure not to cause any unnecessary pain. "You know you're gonna be fine, Mikey," he murmured, "I already called your mom, she called the hospital, so everything's gonna be fine."_

_Adam wasn't scared, he had no reason to be. As soon as they went through the whole human charade, Michael would take off his ring and heal completely. But it was still painful to see his best friend in pain._

_The ride to the hospital was quick, and before he knew it, the EMT's were taking Michael out of the ambulance, rushing him into the hospital, where Karen Grace was already taking charge of the situation._

_Adam watched Michael as they rushed him off. Standing near the doorway, where he was rammed into, sending him flying and to the ground._

_"What the hell?" He exclaimed, looking up and meeting Victoria's fiery blue eyes, she was most definitely angry._

_"I can't believe you did that!" Victoria yelled, extending a hand to help him up, though once she did, she proceeded to hit him repeatedly._

_"Ow, Victoria! Stop!"_

_"You practically kicked me out of the ambulance!" Victoria screeched, hitting him a couple more times before huffing and stalking past him. "How is he?"_

_"I don't know," Adam huffed, following after her, aware of the strange looks they received from a few of the people around him. "We just got here," he added, "and by the way, I kicked you out because only one person was allowed to ride with him."_

_"It should've been me!" Victoria declared._

_Adam rolled his eyes at her childishness and didn't comment back, instead he followed her. After that, everything seemed like a blur. Michael was said to have a mild concussion, sprained ankle and bruised ribs, but other than that he was perfectly fine. He was given an ankle brace and a couple of pain meds before he was told that he would be staying the night for observation because of his concussion._

_"You're dumb," Brenda declared, sitting beside her father, who was quietly typing away on his phone._

_"Brenda," Krista scolded, causing her daughter to roll her eyes. She turned to Michael with raised eyebrows, "You're okay right?"_

_"I'm fine mom," Michael chuckled, "though if Adam keeps poking me I think I'm gonna go crazy," he declared, looking down to see Adam shoot up in his seat by the bed._

_Doctor Grace walked in before anyone could say anything, her red hair up in a bun. "So," she started, walking up to Michael's bedside, "you know you'll be perfectly fine, of course, but you'll keep the brace on for a few weeks, three at the most," she informed, enticing a groan from the blonde, which made her smile. "You'll have to use crutches and you know this means you won't be able to participate in any sports."_

_"I hate this," Michael groaned._

_"You'll have a few check ups once a week."_

_"Thanks, doc," Michael smiled._

_Adam shook his head and winced when Victoria jabbed an elbow into his ribs, she did that for fun a lot, he'd mostly gotten used to it._

_"Thanks a lot, Karen," Krista smiled._

_Before Karen could reply, the door opened. Michael was surprised at the sight of the girl that stepped in, she was wearing a pair of jeans, a white t-shirt, and a pair of sneakers, her red hair up in a messy ponytail with a few strands of hair falling onto her face, square rimmed glasses resting on her nose and a thick book in hand. Michael recognized her, she was one of the school loners._

_"Sophia," Karen said, clearly surprised, "I'm with a patient."_

_"I'm sorry," the girl, Sophia, apologized, "but I need your help."_

_"It's fine, Karen, go ahead," Krista declared._

_Michael watched the girl exit the room, and followed her figure through the window before turning back to Adam and Victoria, who were staring at him with amused expressions._

_"What?" He asked._

_"Nothing," they replied simultaneously._

* * *

"So, what's the verdict?" Sophia inquired, smiling to herself when Michael placed a kiss on her cheek.

"He agreed to fifteen thousand," Victoria informed, laughing as she bit into her hot dog. Lois had informed her of the verdict long ago.

Lois smirked when Sophia turned to her with wide eyes. "Are you serious?" The redhead exclaimed.

"It's not that big of a deal," Lucas mumbled, unwrapping one of his twinkies.

"That's what he says now," Brenda said, causing the table to burst into laughter.

"I did it guys!"

They all turned to see Tyler waving frantically at them, dragging Jessie behind him. He'd attracted the attention of a few other people in the nearby tables, though they turned to their own conversations soon after.

Adam sighed, taking hold of Jessie's hand as she passed by him, pulling her away from Tyler and sitting her beside him, pushing his tray of food towards her and taking the two books from her hand. Tyler stared at the two for a second, huffed and then rounded the table to sit beside Brenda.

"Am I awesome or am I awesome?" Tyler questioned, his blue eyes buzzing with excitement.

Lois chuckled, turning her attention to the books Adam was inspecting, recognizing them immediately, they were classics, something Jessie had a deep admiration for, the whole family knew that. Whenever they couldn't come up with a gift for a birthday or Christmas or anything, they would buy a book, and Jessie would adore it.

"Jessie, the miracle!" Michael exclaimed dramatically.

"You guys are horrible people," Jessie mumbled as she ate her grapes.

"We love you too, Jess," Adam chuckled.

* * *

_**Tuesday, July 24, 2001**_

The news had reached Lois before Homeroom; Clark Kent, the hero. She was more than surprised, if she was being honest, she would've never expected it from the farm boy. But Chloe came relying the information as they waited outside the Torch for Emma to show up.

But Clark Kent being a hero wasn't the only thing Lois had learned. While the farm boy's heroics were impressive, she was more surprised by the fact that Clark had saved _Lex Luthor._ The infamous billionaire playboy would never be caught dead in a town like Smallville.

So, that morning, Lois received two interesting pieces of information; Lex Luthor was in town, and Lex drove his Porsche off a bridge which caused Clark to jump in after him and save him. Life was full of surprises.

Lois was currently sitting at her desk in the Torch during her fourth period, which was a free period, mostly dedicated to her work at the school newspaper. She was looking through her e-mail, replying to those who were worthwhile and ignoring the ones who weren't. The older students weren't around, which Emma seemed to be fine with, she was pretty cool, the only ones currently in the room was her, Chloe, Pete and Clark.

"Score!" Chloe exclaimed loudly, making Lois turn to her with raised eyebrows.

The blonde was standing at the doorway of the storage room, looking inside the room. She looked very proud of herself, and incredibly excited.

"What?" Clark called out.

Chloe ignored him, turning to Emma with a wide smile. "Can I use the storage room for a little project of mine?" She asked.

"What project?" Emma asked.

"I just need the wall to pin up articles and information, nothing important. We don't even use the storage room anyway," Chloe declared, a begging tone starting in her voice, "All I ask for is the key to keep it private."

Emma looked thoughtful for a second and then sighed deeply, reaching for her keys and searching through them before handing one to Chloe, "This better not be anything crazy, I'm trusting you."

Chloe practically squealed with delight, took the key and turned to her desk, grabbing a box that'd been on her desk since that morning before locking herself up in the storage room, popping out a second later to give them all warning looks.

"Don't you dare come in here," she warned, before going back inside and slamming the door.

Lois stared at the door for a couple a seconds, blinking slowly before her eyebrows shot up and a smile came onto her features, "Ooo-kay then," she chuckled.

A movement on her computer screen caught her attention, she'd received a new e-mail, when she read the name she perked up, straightening up in her seat and smiled widely.

"What's up with you?" Pete inquired.

Lois glanced over at him, still smiling.

"Why are you guys acting so weird?" Clark inquired.

"I'm not acting weird, Kent," Lois declared with a roll of her eyes, waving the two boys off and turning her attention to the screen.

** Mark Ross**

** To: Lois Lane**

_ I heard the news, gorgeous. News travels fast between us jocks. Fifteen thousand, that's bound to be amazing._

"I just got an email from your brother," Lois informed, looking very satisfied with herself.

"Which one?" Pete inquired, raising an eyebrow.

Lois' smile widened, "Mark," she replied.

"And why do you seem so excited about that?" Pete asked.

"Because," Lois shrugged, "I love Mark, and he's the only one as excited about this as I am."

"_What_ are you talking about?" Clark asked, clearly confused.

Lois only grinned and turned back to her computer ignoring any further questions from the boys.

It had been planned for weeks, weeks before school had started, Lois had thought everything out, had made sure everything would be perfect. She'd clued in her whole family, who of course clued in the jocks, though that of course was expected, and part of her plan. To say she was excited was to say the least.

"Okay," Emma called, "so, who's going to take the Lex Luthor story?"

Immediately, Lois' hand shot up, waving her hand slightly. Emma turned to her, looking slightly amused as she looked at the younger girl.

"Fine, Lois, you can take it," Emma nodded.

"Awesome," Lois said, "We _are_ talking about the save right?" She added after a second's thought.

"Yes," Emma confirmed, "we're looking at a front page story here, Lane, so don't mess up."

Lois nodded her head, a determined look crossing her features, "Got it," she said, turning her attention to her computer, thinking of the best plausible way to start her new story.

Really, she should've known better. Telling Lucas that she was off to visit Lex wasn't one of the best ideas she could've had. Immediately her older brother entered protective mode. It took a while to convince him to not go inside with her.

Lois knew Lucas would probably wait around outside the mansion, she could already see the determination on his face. Yes, telling Lucas was definitely not a good idea.

Her brother was weary of anything and anyone related to the rich and famous world. Lucas didn't have a problem against Lex personally, he acted that way whenever anything related to their socialite world was involved. That's why Lucas was so happy in Smallville, not that he didn't have his wild, Inquisitor worthy frontpage moments, but Smallville was calm, and not filled with crazy people, as he liked to call them.

"Bye," Lois said once Lucas stopped in front of the Luthor mansion.

Lucas gave her a look, one that clearly told her he wouldn't be leaving.

"If you don't leave I'll hit you, and it'll hurt," Lois warned.

He only rolled his eyes and pursed his lips, which caused Lois' annoyance to spike up.

"Lucas, I swear. If you don't leave I'm going to go into you roo-"

"Say no more," he interrupted, starting up the car again.

Lois rolled her eyes and got out of the car, slamming the car door a little harder than necessary before walking to the gates of the mansion. She remembered when the mansion was moved in, stone by stone, but no one had ever occupied it so it lay forgotten through the years. It was the definition of huge, and the surrounding land was large as well. Lois was entirely sure that the mansion had to have at least a hundred rooms, if not more.

The guards passed her through after a short call to Lex. As she followed one of the guards through the halls of the mansion, she wondered what Lex was thinking at the moment. She was sure he wasn't expecting her, especially since she was a _Lane_. The two families weren't known to get along, though that was due mostly to Lex's father Lionel. And though Lex did socialize with people from her family, it was never her.

"Lois Lane."

She was met by a large office slash study, it was exactly what she expected, it had the same type of decor from the rest of the mansion, though the office had a few more high-tech items.

"Hello, Lex," Lois smiled.

He looked the same, though she'd expect that much since the last time she saw him was a little less than a year ago. He was dressed in black slacks, expensive shoes and a cashmere sweater. He looked a little more built than last time, though she guessed his workout was mostly to put a good impression on the ladies. Despite his lack of hair, Lex was incredibly attractive, it actually suited him. He waved off the guard and turned towards his desk, sitting on his chair and waving to one of the seats across from his.

"So, do what do I owe the pleasure?" He asked once Lois sat.

"I'm writing a piece for the school paper about the accident and how you were saved," Lois informed, letting herself get comfortable in her seat. "I wanted your side of the story."

Lex paused for a second, looking thoughtful, his head cocked to the side. Lois knew she was asking a lot, Luthor's, especially Lex didn't do many interviews, and she knew there was a possibility that he will just turn down the interview.

"I never expected you to start working for a school newspaper," Lex commented, smiling softly.

"Well, I never expected you to be moving to Smallville, but here we are," Lois replied, returning his smile.

He chuckled, shaking his head. "Go ahead," he told her, "ask away. Though I have to ask you not to take long, I have much business to attend to."

"I understand," Lois nodded. "All I need really is you recount of the story."

And that's exactly what happened, Lex told her everything about what had happened.

* * *

_The Day Before - July 23, 2001_

_Lex was wondering how long his father would make him stay in Smallville. He knew that sending him to the small town was his dad's way of controlling him. Lex was used to his father being in control of his life, but he thought sending him off to Smallville was a little too much. Sure, Lex knew that Smallville was officially on the map since two of the most important families in the world moved there, but the Lane's and Stewart's had managed to keep as much of their lives a secret from the world, he knew they all enjoyed their privacy._

_His phone started ringing loudly, he figured it was probably his father's secretary wondering if Lex had made it to the mansion yet. He reached into the inside pocket of his coat and took out his phone, cursing loudly when it tumbled out of his hand when he tried to flip it open._

_As he leaned down to pick it up, Lex failed to realize the roll of wire that had fallen from the cargo truck in front of him, rolling into the street. When he finally resurfaced with his phone, a loud gasp made his way from his lips, green eyes widening as he tried to move out of the way. Tires screeched, he could hear a sickening pop from his engine. But it didn't work, his car went over the roll of wire, popping his front tire, and making his car drift. He knew he was going to drive off the bridge, there was no way he would be able to keep his car on the road._

_Lex didn't expect the boy to be standing in front of his car. He swore at that moment, his heart stopping. He would be able to accept causing his own death, but taking the life of another boy with him wasn't an option. Lex tried to move his car more to the right, trying to stop himself from hitting the boy, but it was to no avail, his car crashed straight on._

_It felt like he was flying, he wasn't even sitting on his seat and then he slammed into the lake and the water started pouring in. With despair he tried to open his door, but it was of no use, it was jammed shut._

_Lex was soon fully submerged in water, holding his breath, it was his body's instinct to try and stay alive but it was of no use, his body's need for air kicked in, and Lex breathed in a lungful of water._

_Everything was dark for a moment and then Lex found himself surrounded by fluffy white clouds, soaring through the air, the wind whipping against his skin. Smallville was set out below him, from such a view up in the sky, the small town looked beautiful._

_Suddenly he felt a rush of air push him back, and then it was like he was being sucked into something, sucked away from the amazingness he was experiencing in the air._

_It was dark, and then his eyes snapped open, meeting the gaze of the boy Lex had been sure he'd hit. But the boy looked perfectly fine. He was hovering over Lex, a worried expression on his face, watching him as Lex coughed up water._

_"I could've sworn I hit you," Lex gasped, not liking the burning sensation in his chest._

_"If you did, I'd be- I'd be dead," the boy muttered, looking out into the water._

_Everything that happened after that was a blur, the police and ambulance had of course shown up immediately. The EMT's made sure Lex was alright before they let him start walking again. Currently, Lex was wrapped up in a red blanket, watching as his Porsche was pulled out of the lake._

_"Who was the maniac that was driving that car?"_

_The words distracted him for a moment, and he turned towards the boy; Clark, and saw a man standing in front of him. The man had his back to Lex, though Lex could guess that there was definitely worry etched onto the man's features._

_"That'd be me," Lex called, taking a few steps forward, gaining the attention of the older man. Lex stuck out his hand, offering a small smile, "Lex Luthor."_

_The man stared at his hand for a moment and then turned his back. Lex could feel the sting of the rejection in his chest, but it didn't dwell on it, instead dropped his hand._

_"I'm Jonathan Kent, this is my son," the man informed._

_"Thanks for saving my life," Lex said, addressing Clark._

_Clark smiled, nodding his head, "I'm sure you would've done the same_ _thing."_

_Lex smiled, "You have quite an extraordinary boy there, Mr. Kent. If there's any way I could repay you-"_

_"Drive slower," the man snapped, walking off with his son in tow._

* * *

"Thanks, Lex," Lois smiled, putting away her recorder.

"No problem," he smiled, "anything for an old family friend. Make sure to not add in the flying part, I don't want to seem crazy."

Lois arched an eyebrow, "I'm sure you'll regret that when I turn up with some big catastrophe for you to help me with," she declared, causing Lex to laugh, "And I wouldn't say anything that'll make you seem crazy."

When he stopped, he still kept a smile on his face. "How're your cousins?"

"Michael's been pretty quiet since the two of you stopped partying," Lois informed.

"I think that means I was a bad influence," Lex chuckled.

"Even if you were, I'm sure you were not the only one influencing Michael's decisions," Lois chuckled.

"What about Victoria?" Lex asked, eyebrow raised.

Lois paused at his question, frowning slightly, "She's fine," she replied, making the Luthor frown.

"I see," he murmured.

"Well," Lois said after a pause, clearing her throat, "thanks for this Lex, I owe you."

"I'm sure you'll be regretting that yourself later on," Lex chuckled.

"Of course," Lois snorted, standing, "I'll send you a copy of the published paper!" She called, turning around and walking towards the door.

"Wait, Lois," Lex called, gaining her attention.

"Yes?"

Lex looked at the desk for a moment before meeting Lois' brown eyes. "Send Victoria my regards, will you?"

Lois paused, a frown etching onto her features, "I'll see what I can do," she replied, turning to the door and walking out before Lex had a chance to say anything else.

* * *

Lois got back to school on her own- thanks to her abilities, it didn't take long at all, it was after school, and the school year was barely starting so clubs weren't open yet. Currently, the only ones open were the Torch and football tryouts, which the boys in her family were at right now.

She made her way through the school, waving through the hall until she reached the Torch, she was glad to find Clark and Pete inside, but there was no sign of Chloe.

"Where's Chloe?" Lois inquired.

"She's locked up in the storage room, she still won't let us see what's going on in there," Pete replied, rolling his eyes.

Lois nodded, heading over to her desk.

"How's the interview with Lex go?" Pete asked, sneering slightly as he spoke the Luthor's name.

Lois ignored the tone in his voice and nodded her head. "It was good, he was really cooperative about the whole thing," she informed, "I'm guessing the fact that I actually knew him helped me in him saying yes to the interview."

"You knew Lex?" Clark asked.

Lois opened up her email again as she answered him. "Yeah, our families go was back."

"The Lane's and Luthor's have a rivalry going on," Pete informed, nudging Clark's side, the taller boy looked curious at Pete's comment and turned to Lois for an explanation.

With a small chuckle, Lois shook her head, "It has more to do with the family companies than anything. The younger generation speaks to one another, my older cousins actually partied with Lex all the time. Michael used to throw around the phrase _'Keep your friends close and your enemies closer'_ constantly."

"What's Lex say in the interview?" Clark asked.

"No need to worry, Smallville, he didn't bad mouth you," Lois replied.

"Smallville?" He paused, looking confused.

"Nickname, Clark," Lois informed, staring at him with a raised eyebrow. "You do know what nicknames are, right?"

Clark looked mildly annoyed now, and it made Lois smirk.

"Of course I know," he huffed.

"Good, just checking. I was thinking of sending you back to the third grade if you didn't," she declared, turning away from him and giving her attention to the computer screen in front of her. From the corner of her eyes she could make out Clark's pursed lips and narrowed eyes. Trying to keep her smile at bay, she turned her attention to the her emails and noticed a couple of more messages from the football players, she decided to look at them later.

Pete and Clark were talking about some band they were both into, Lois wasn't familiar with them. She tapped one of the pens on her desk against the wood, looking thoughtful.

"Right," Clark said loudly after a few minutes, gaining Lois' attention, he was staring pointedly at the pen in her hands. Lois smirked, causing Clark to roll his eyes. He got up from his seat, throwing his backpack over his shoulder, "I should head home," he declared.

Lois sprang up from her seat, "I'll go with you, I still need to ask you about the whole saving Lex thing for my article," she said.

Clark paused, frowning, "Are you sure? We could do it later, I mean I don't have a car and the farm is a little far."

"I know where it is, Smallville," Lois said, rolling her eyes. "And of course I'm sure, I wouldn't be telling you if I wasn't."

"Okay, then," Clark muttered, frowning, walking out of the Torch with Lois in tow.

Lois rolled her eyes, "Gosh, Clark, I never pictured you to be the gloomy type."

"I never pictured you as the annoying type either, but there you are," Clark replied, and Lois could immediately see the regret on his face, making her laugh loudly, head thrown back.

"Your face is so readable, Smallville, you should work on your poker face," Lois declared, shaking her head in amusement, breathing in deeply as she stepped out of the school. She turned to him and added, "If you're gonna insult someone, don't look like you regret it a second after, it'll have zero effect."

She saw him roll his eyes, breathing in deeply, she was obviously getting on his nerves and she liked it. Seeing his face as he struggled to keep his cool was something that made her laugh.

"Just walk," he grumbled, starting a faster pace that Lois quickly caught up to.

Lois laughed, reaching into her bag for the recorder starting it up.

"I just need you to tell me your side of the story, Clark, and nothing crazy okay?"

Clark rolled his eyes, but easily slipped into the telling of his story.

* * *

_The Day Before - July 23, 2001_

_High school wasn't at all what he expected, it was a little weirder than he thought if would be, the people he was surrounded with was the same people from the year before, though this time, he was surrounded by many other people who he'd never socialized with. So that's why he found himself standing on Wickery Bridge, looking out into the water, thinking over all of his experiences of the day._

_The screeching of tires that sounded behind him made him whirl around in surprise, a Porsche was heading straight for him and before Clark could move out of the way, the car rammed into him, toppling them both off the bridge. He gasped in shock at the hit, but if there was one thing about the Kent farm boy that made him the most different from others, was his incredible abilities._

_The car had hit him, but it had barely hurt. It was the lungful of water he'd taken when he hit the water that had hurt most, but that hadn't stopped him. He coughed up the water and didn't feel any horrible after effects in this lungs._

_Clark quickly made his way to the car that now resided at the bottom of the lake. Using some of his abnormal strength, Clark tore the roof halfway off the car and pulled out the man inside, quickly resurfacing and taking him to the shore, starting to use the little he knew of CPR to save the man._

_"Come on, don't die on me," Clark begged._

_It was a relief when the man started spewing out water, Clark could've never been so incredibly relieved in his life. He started to calm his breathing, swallowing._

_"I could've sworn I hit you," the man declared through gasps._

_"If you did, I'd be- I'd be dead," Clark said, looking up at the bridge._

_Everything was a blur, he was scared when the EMT's wanted to check them out, but he assured them that he was perfectly fine. It wasn't until his father showed up that he knew things were going to go south._

_"Clark!" Jonathan called out as he slid down the sand with expertise_. _"Son are you all right?" He asked, standing in front of him looking worried._

_"Yeah, I'm okay," Clark said with a reassuring smile._

_"Who was the maniac that was driving that car?" Jonathan exclaimed._

_"That would be me."_

_Clark turned to face the man he'd saved from the Porsche; Lex Luthor, approaching his father, extending his hand._

_"Lex Luthor," the man introduced._

_Clark internally winced when his father turned down Lex's hand shake._

_"I'm Jonathan Kent," his father replied, "this is my son."_

_Lex turned to Clark, nodding his head, "Thanks for saving my life."_

_"I'm sure you would have done the same thing," Clark replied, offering a small smile._

_"You have quite an extraordinary boy there, Mr. Kent. If there's any way I could repay you-"_

_"Drive slower," his father snapped, turning to Clark and ushering him away from the mess._

_Clark was sure that he could die at that moment._

* * *

"So you just saw Lex's car go off the bridge and jumped in after it?" Lois clarified, looking slightly unsure.

"That's what happened," Clark nodded, and Lois was sure that she could see a slight nervousness in his eyes as they walked.

Lois wasn't sure, but she felt like Clark wasn't being completely honest with her, but she could see that he didn't want to speak of it any longer, so she opted for turning off her recorder and starting a conversation about sports, which seemed to relax the farm boy greatly.

Their walk was long. Conversation was mostly kept up by constant bickering. Lois discovered Clark had a rather sassy side of him. It was stupid, the amount of things they found to argue about. They were mindless things, at one point they started arguing over rocks and which one would be deemed a better weapon; there were many rocks on the side of the road to fuel their argument.

"I bet you can't wait until you can finally drive," Lois muttered, "I think this is the longest I've ever walked in my life."

"I drive," Clark replied, "I tested for my permit a couple of weeks after I turned fourteen, I got it, I just don't have a car to drive."

Lois looked thoughtful for a second and then sighed. "The General gave me a direct order to not drive until Lucas is already graduated and gone from Smallville."

"Sucks," Clark replied, not knowing what else to say.

For the first time since they left school, they settled into a silence. Though Lois was quickly losing her patience for it, before she could open her mouth and speak though, Clark beat her to it.

"Why does your family live in Smallville?"

"What do you mean?" Lois asked, though she was pretty sure she knew exactly what he meant.

"Your family, it's big, it's important, known worldwide, yet you settle in a small town practically miles from any city in Kansas," Clark declared, meeting her eyes for a moment before looking away once again.

Lois thought about her answer, there was many different ones, answers that provided an explanation yet didn't reveal the whole truth.

"Our parents, they all came to a unanimous decision that a small quaint town was better for everyone. They didn't want us to be incredibly exposed to the media, and they didn't want us to start partying like crazy," Lois informed, "not that is actually stops any of us, if you're sixteen or older in my family it's a requirement for you to get drunk and splattered across the tabloid at least once."

"That sounds," he trailed off, and Lois knew he didn't really know what to say.

"I know," Lois smiled, nodding her head, "it's a little out there. But my older cousins' partying is actually how I met Lex," Lois informed.

"I thought it was because of your families business," Clark stated, clearly confused.

Lois shook her head, balancing the binder she was holding on her hip, Clark noticed, and he was quick to take it from her hands. She was about to protest, but something made her stop.

"Thanks," she muttered. "And we knew _of_ each other because of the family business, but we didn't really meet until Michael and Lex started going out to clubs together."

"I'm guessing they got into a lof of trouble," Clark said, and Lois noted he sounded rather amused.

"They weren't that bad," she assured, "Michael's actually very responsible when it comes to that kind of thing, he knows his limits."

She noticed Clark was about to say something, but she could see the hesitation in his expression, so she decided to change the subject, trying to save him from the oncoming brain tumor.

"Look, the Kent farm's up ahead," she said happily, and it wasn't until then that she realized how relieved she felt. Spending time with Clark was alright she supposed, but he wasn't the type of person she'd chose to get stuck somewhere with, he was a little too annoying, she'd probably end up snapping his neck.

Their walking seemingly started speeding up after her comment, and it wasn't long before they reached the farm. Lois didn't really know why, but she followed him in, thoughts of Mrs. Kent, who was outside working coming to her mind. Surely that's why she decided to head in towards the farm, Lois really had no other reason.

"Hey, mom!" Clark greeted excitedly. "Whose truck?"

Martha was climbing onto the tractor when she turned to look at the two teenagers. Lois smiled fondly, raising her hand and waving. A few feet behind her, a large red Ford with a huge bow on it was parked, it looked brand new, and Lois knew that it probably was.

"Yours," Martha replied, "it's a gift from Lex Luthor."

"Five points for Lois Lane for being awesome!" Lois exclaimed excitedly, "I knew it was from Lex."

Martha chuckled, smiling widely, "Hello, Lois, how are you?"

"Never better, Mrs. Kent."

The redheaded woman's smile widened and then digged into her pocket, taking out a card and handing it to her son. "That's from Lex as well."

Lois watched as Clark excitedly opened it, reading it out loud, "_'Dear Clark, drive safely. Always in your debt, the maniac in the Porsche.'_ I don't believe it!"

Lois thought he looked like a five year old on Christmas.

"Where're the keys?"

"Your father has them," Martha replied.

Immediately, Lois noticed his elated expression drop and a frown replaced his wide smile. He stared at the note in his hands for a moment before wordlessly returning Lois' binder and walking off.

"I take it Mr. Kent isn't very fond of the Luthor's," Lois guessed, staring at Clark's retreating figure before turning her attention to Martha.

"You guessed correctly," Martha nodded.

Lois smiled, shaking her head, "One of many," she declared, "now, I have to head home and work on my article for the Torch."

"It was nice seeing you again Lois," Martha smiled, "tell your mother I said hello."

"Will do!"

* * *

_**Wednesday, July 25, 2001**_

Mark Ross came up to Lois during lunch, a wide smile on his face, eyebrows raised and looking incredibly excited. Lois met his eyes and laughed, rolling her eyes.

"It's not gonna happen any time soon, Mark," Lois declared.

"Come on, Lois!" Mark exclaimed, "You know how awesome this would be for the team."

"Of course I do," Lois nodded, "why do you think I did this?" She inquired. "But you'll have to wait until next month for it to happen."

"Yes, yes, your birthday, I know," Mark sighed. "I still don't understand how you decide to ask for this kind of gift for your birthday."

Lois smiled widely, "I'm a big sports fan," Lois shrugged, "and when's the last time the team got _any_ new gear?"

"Lois!" Jessica was calling her, walking with Lana Lang and Whitney Fordman down the hall.

"I have to go," Lois sighed, "don't ruin this Mark, okay? Lucas might still change his mind about this whole thing, you know he's never been really solid about his deals when it comes to big things like this."

"Got it," Mark nodded, "see you later, gorgeous," he said, pecking her cheek and walking off.

Lois rather liked Mark, he was the oldest Ross in high school, a senior and one of Michael's best friends. And Lois had to admit he was one of the most good looking guys in the school. His tallness of course added to his attractiveness.

"Hey, Lois," Lana greeted when the three finally caught up to her.

Lana Lang, one of the most popular girls Lois had ever known. She was one of the prettiest girls as well, with long, straight raven hair and bright hazel eyes that always seemed to draw people in, she was slender and seemed incredibly fragile. She was a lot like Lois' cousin Jessica, who just so happened to be Lana's best friend.

"Hey, Lana," Lois replied, nodding her head, smile widening when she turned to Whitney. "Hey, Whitney."

Whitney Fordman, a tall, hot, quarterback that had seemed to be chasing after Lana Lang since the summer. He was also one of Michael's best friends. Most of the seniors Lois knew were part of Michael's group of friends.

"Hey, Lois. Have you seen Adam?"

"Last I saw him, him and Victoria were discussing the many ways in which they can prank Michael, they were by the bleachers," she informed.

"Typical," he murmured, "I'll see you guys later, okay?" He asked, turning to leave, "Bye, Lana!"

"Bye, Whitney," Lana smiled.

"I'm betting you guys will get together by the end of the month," Lois declared.

"Lois!" Jessica laughed.

Lois smiled widely at her cousin, winking before clearing her throat, "Were you calling me for a reason, Jessie?"

Jessica smiled, shaking her head, "Nope, just wanted to spend some time with my favorite cousin."

"Don't let Michael hear you say that," Lois laughed.

* * *

The boys were all at football tryouts again, the process took about a week, though Lois was sure they would all get in the team again, they were the best players. Cheerleading tryouts had started as well, and Jessica and Lana had of course immediately tried out for that. Lois's older cousin Victoria was hanging out with Sophia today and Brenda had currently disappeared, she was most likely hanging out with Kathy Ross, her best friend.

Lois didn't want to spend another afternoon at the Torch. She knew Chloe was there, and Lois liked the blonde greatly, she'd turned out to be one of the only people who managed to catch Lois' attention long enough to be considered a friend. And of course, since Chloe and her hand bonded, that meant that Lois was immediately brought into her group, which of course consisted of Clark and Pete. Lois liked them, if she cast aside Clark's annoying tendencies, she really did. But Lois knew that she wasn't in the mood for company, and if she went to hang out with them she'd be in one of her moods and probably not talk at all.

She figured going home was the best option for her. She could do her homework, but she didn't really feel like delving into her English homework. Of course, her Prime studies were due on Friday, and she hasn't started yet, she figured today was as good a day as any.

As she made her way through the parking lot, smiling at the few remaining students, Lois grabbed her phone from the pocket of her grey sweatpants, sending her brother a text to inform him of her day's plans. She knew he wouldn't get it until after football tryout were over, but she was fine with that.

Leaving school grounds didn't take long, but finding a small secluded area was. When she finally found it behind a large van, she smiled to herself, reaching into her bag for a small box. The box was lined with lead, made especially for her to keep her blue Kryptonite ring inside. She slipped the ring off her finger, feeling the rush of power course through her. Her abilities were something that Lois greatly admired about herself, they made her feel amazing.

She put the ring away and looked around one more time before rushing off. Running was one of her favorite things to do, just watching everything and everyone become a blur around her. It was exhilarating, feeling the wind whip around her, the rush of it all.

Lois stopped running a few seconds later, stopping in front of her house, having to dig through her bag to find the keys. After a few seconds she finally doing them, opening her door and stepping inside, having to disable the alarm system before letting herself relax into her home.

Her house was one of the biggest ones in Smallville - not counting Lex's mansion - and she absolutely loved it. It was two stories high, but it had more than ten rooms and eight bathrooms, not including all the extra rooms that served different purposes. There was also five floors below ground, one being the basement and four others used especially for Prime purposes.

Stopping at the kitchen to get a slice of cold pizza, she looked out the kitchen window, when her cousin Michael's and Brenda's house was clearly visible. Her whole family were her neighbors. She headed to the door that lead to the basement, passing the pool room and the game room before heading to another door that lead deeper into the ground. The last floor was all lead, it was sort of a safe room. Her house had a similar layout to the houses that surrounded hers, of course they weren't exactly alike, they didn't look alike either, but they had a similar base.

She made her way into the third floor below ground, but before she was allowed in, she leaned forward and let her eye be scanned before a needle came out. Lois always hated this part. The needle was made of special metal from back home, and it pierced her skin easily. It took a couple of seconds before the technology recognized her blood and the Kryptonian cells within it.

The room was special, made from materials and elements from her home planet, it's been hard to make it adapt to Earth, but she was glad her father had managed it, it made her feel truly at home.

She dropped her bag on a table and was immediately greeted by a floating sphere, "Greetings, Lo." It spoke in her home language and Lois smiled at the sound of it. "Will you be starting you studies today?"

"I will," Lois replied, taking a seat in one of the chairs, feeling the seat mold to her body, giving her the utmost comfort.

The sphere; Helix was artificial intelligence, created in her planet, made to attend those of the Lane family or as they were called in Krypton Prime; the House of Ne. It came to hover in front of her, and it made a quick scan of her body before it started speaking again.

"Studies will start in a moment, please relax while I sync your brainwaves with Helix Prime programme," Helix declared.

Lois was used to the process Helix performed, it was simple, yet humans couldn't begin to understand it. Lois was placed into a deep slumber by Helix, and then her brain would sync with the data that had been sent from Prime. Her brain would absorb the information, receiving the teachings that teens were receiving in her planet. Becuase she was on Earth she received her studies this way. If she'd been on Prime, if she'd been raised in Prime, she would've learned the normal way.

It took three hours this time, since she'd prolonged it for so long, it usually took one hour per day to sync all the data. When she resurfaced, her brain was swimming with thousands of new ideas, working to catalogue it all and keep it on a beck and call.

"Training simulation for your combat skills will begin shortly," Helix informed, "do you wish to change?"

"Yes," Lois replied.

The room she was in was all silvers and golds, the only colors that stood out were worn by Lois. The room was wide, it was full of Prime technology, with Helix being the main component and running everything. Lois walked over to a door, standing in front of it for only a second before it opened, sliding upwards. Inside there was many different suits, suits made of Kryptonian material. She quickly sent the armor to the side and searched for the body suits. Opting for the black body suit.

The material of the suit was unlike anything in Earth, it was skin tight, molding to fit the contours of her body, and absolutely no damage could be made to the suit, though that was because the suit was rendered invulnerable by the abilities of the wearer. Displayed on the front was the Mark of Ne, her House symbol.

As she put on the suit, she smiled. Lois really loved anything and everything that had to do with her home planet. Wearing the suit reminded her of where she came from.

"Proceed into the simulation chamber," Helix ordered, still speaking in Lois' native tongue. It was when Lois spoke to Helix that she was able to communicate in Kryptonian, any other time she was forced to speak English.

Lois followed Helix's intructions, watching the door to the simulation chamber slide up and allowed her inside. The room was pitch black, but it didn't last long, as Lois soon found herself surrounded by a dangerous scenario, one where she was required to practice her combat skills. As master combatant skills were one of the abilities she was currently developing now at the age of fourteen, she had to constantly practice them.

She cursed herself for getting distracted when a Dheronian warrior rammed into her side, sending her flying and crashing into a boulder.

* * *

When Lucas arrived that evening, music was pumping loudly from his car, he was wearing only a pair of shorts and shoes, a muscle shirt thrown over his shoulder, other than that he was shirtless, and sweaty a sports bag thrown over his shoulder.

"You want me to order in?" Lois inquired as Lucas made his way through the door and headed towards the stairs.

Lucas paused, turning to face her with slightly raised eyebrows, "I'll just cook something up," he told her, "I'm not that tired and I still have to stay up for Prime studies," he declared.

"Alright," Lois shrugged, leaning against the doorway that lead into the kitchen. "How were tryouts?"

"Great," Lucas nodded, "Some of the incoming Freshmen are even good enough for the varsity team," he said, sounding proud. "I'll hit the shower and then get some food ready."

"You want me to start up a movie in the theater room?" Lois asked, hopeful.

"Sure, I don't have a lot of homework, we can watch something if you want," Lucas shrugged, heading up the stairs.

"I bought The Fast and The Furious!" Lois called out. "We're gonna watch that!"

He didn't answer, but Lois knew he had heard her. She wandered into the kitchen, opening the fridge and taking out the orange juice, pouring herself a cup as she looked out the kitchen window. The sky wasn't entirely dark yet, but the hues were getting darker and darker by the hour. Lois looked over at the clock on the stove and read the time; **7:24**.

The phone rang loudly, the ring coursing throughout the house until she reached over and plucked it from it's holder and brought it up to her ear.

"Lane residence, this is Lois speaking," she said dully.

_"Lois."_

She was surprised to hear Lex on the other end of the phone and frowned slightly.

"Lex, this is a surprise," Lois declared.

_"I know,"_ he replied, _"but, remember that favor you owe me?"_

"You're already cashing in?" Lois asked with a chuckle.

_"You're friends with the Clark Kent, right?"_ He inquired.

Lois frowned, "Yeah," she said slowly, drawing the word out.

_"Then I just need you to do a little convincing, or try. He returned the truck to me, today. I was hoping you could convince him to take it back."_

"Are you serious?" Lois exclaimed, clearly shocked. "But he was telling me how a car was exactly what he needed!"

* * *

_The Day Before - July 23, 2001_

_Lex had been fencing with Heiki for the past half hour and it was obvious that the woman was way better at it than he was. Of course, she was a professional, he shouldn't have been surprise._

_He sighed, annoyed when he felt the fencing sword press against his chest and stepped back, taking his own sword and throwing it blindingly in the opposite direction. Eyes widening when he realized the sword lay embedded in the wall, mere inches away from Clark's face._

_"Clark?" Lex asked in shock, taking off his mask. "I didn't see you."_

_"I buzzed," Clark said, stepping away from the sword, "but no one answered."_

_Lex frowned at his statement, slightly confused, "how'd you get through the gate?" He inquired._

_"I kind of squeezed through the bars," the teen replied uncomfortably, shaking his head and clearing his throat, "If this is a bad time-"_

_"Oh no!" Lex quickly interrupted, shaking his head, "I think Heiki has sufficiently kicked my ass for the day," he informed, turning to the blonde woman and nodding, sending her off before making his way out of the room._

_Lex made his way through the halls, Clark walking closely behind him. He_ _reached a set of stairs, stopping when the farm boy started speaking; "This is a great place."_

_Lex paused on his way up the stairs, looking around the surrounding area, smiling softly. "Yeah?" He asked, "If you're dead and in the market for something to haunt," he said playfully._

_"Well," Clark muttered, clearing his throat, "I mean- it's roomy."_

_Lex's smile widened, making his way up the stairs again, "It's the Luthor ancestral home, or so my father claims," he informed, trudging down the hall towards his office. "He had it shipped over from Scotland, stone by stone."_

_"Yeah, the trucks rolled through town for weeks, but no one ever moved in," Clark nodded, still admiring the place._

_Lex couldn't help the small seed of satisfaction that planted in his heart as he watched the younger boy admire the mansion. He paused just before entering his office and turned to Clark with an amused grin._

_"My father had no intention of living here," he informed, "he's never even stepped through the front door."_

_"Then why he'd ship it over?" Cark asked, baby blue eyes wide and confused as they stared at the older man._

_"Because he could," Lex replied, pushing the door open to his office and walking inside. "How's the new ride?"_

_When Lex had picked out the truck, he was more than excited. He wanted to repay the boy for saving his life. Lex knew that buying a truck would never compare to what Clark had done to him, but he hoped it would show the farm boy his gratitude._

_"What's why I'm here," Clark said, and the way he sounded made Lex frown and turn to him with raised eyebrows._

_"What's the matter? You don't like it?" Lex asked, eyebrows arched._

_"No, it's not that," Clark assured quickly, "I just can't keep it."_

_Lex frowned at his words, cocking his head to the side, "Clark, you saved my life," he declared, "I think it's the least I could do." At Clark's expression, Lex sighed, looking down at the ground with pursed lips. "Your father doesn't like me, does he?" He asked, noticing the boy's troubled expression. "It's okay," he assured. "I've been bald since I was nine. I'm used to people judging me before they get to know me."_

_"It's nothing personal," Clark rushed to explain. Lex could see the boy was distressed, desperate not to hurt his feelings. Blue eyes met green eyes as Clark continued speaking. "He's not crazy about your dad."_

_"He figures the apple doesn't fall far from the tree," Lex deduced, nodding his head, "understandable," he sighed, turning his full attention to the teenager. "What about you, Clark? Did you fall far from the tree?"_

_Lex noticed the uncomfortable look that cross his Clark's features._

_"I better go," Clark sighed, extending his hand and holding out the keys to the truck, which Lex took, a frown still in place. "Thanks for the truck," Clark added as he headed to leave._

_"Clark," Lex called after him._

_The farm boy turned to meet his eyes, curious._

_"Do you believe a man can fly?"_

_"Sure, in a plane," Clark replied, clearly confused. Lex noted he seemed hesitant to answer his question._

_"No," Lex chuckled, "I'm not talking about that. I'm talking about soaring through the clouds with nothing but air beneath you."_

_"People can't fly, Lex," Clark said, seeming more serious than he was before._

_"I did," Lex replied, and he had to admit to himself that he sounded a little stubborn, "after the accident, when my heart stopped. It was the most exhilarating two minutes of my life. I flew over Smallville, and for the first time, I didn't see a dead end. I saw a new beginning. Thanks to you, I have a second chance. We have a future, Clark, and I don't want anything to stand in the way of our friendship."_

* * *

"That's intense," Lois murmured, "you almost stabbed the guy that saved you with a fencing sword."

_"Lois,"_ Lex complained, making her laugh.

"Relax, Lex," Lois replied, "I'll go talk to him later, though I'm sure I won't be any help, if he returned it, it wa probably for a reason."

_"I know,"_ he replied, _"just try."_

"Right," Lois said, "I have to go."

_"Thanks for doing this, Lois,"_ Lex said.

"No problem. Bye."

She hung up and stared at the phone with slight surprise. Lois was never close to Lex, but now she could start to view him as more of an acquaintance than just one of Michael's friends.

Lucas tumbled down the stairs in a pair of sweatpants, he had a thing for going around shirtless when he was at home, though he didn't have a problem being shirtless anywhere.

"What do you want?" Lucas inquired as he stepped into the kitchen, opening up the fridge and peering inside.

"I don't know," Lois shrugged, coming up beside him. "What do _you_ want?"

Lucas met her eyes, sending her a smile and then pulling her into a hug. Her face was pressed to his chest and the hug was tight, she wasn't able to pull away at all.

"Lucas!" She exclaimed, her voice muffled.

"You know I love you, right?" He asked.

Lois tried to shove him off, but it didn't work. She was used to these spontanous hugs, and he wouldn't let go until he felt like it. She stayed still for a moment and waited patiently for him to pull away. Finally, he did, grinning and turning towards the fridge once again.

"You're so annoying, Lucas," Lois grumbled, bringing her hadn up to her hair, which suddenly felt uncomfortable in her ponytail. "And you ruined my hair," she added.

"You're such a baby," Lucas declared.

Lois made her way out of the kitchen to fix her hair, leaving Lucas to start up their meal. When she was finally satisfied with the way her hair looked, she walked back into the kitchen to see Lucas frying bacon on a pan.

"What are you making?"

"BLT's," he replied, "we can eat them in the theater room while we watch a movie."

"I'll go set it up," Lois smiled, making her way down the hall and past the living room.

* * *

It was almost ten when Lois made her way out of the house. Lucas was currently below ground, taking in his studies for the day. She was dressed up in grey sweatpants and a black hoodie, she had taken off her ring long ago, she loved not putting it on, she loved being free in her own body, she loved the power she received when she wasn't restrained by Kryptonite.

Using her speed, she made her way to the Kent farm, stopping just outside the entrance and walking the rest of the way inside, making her way towards the yellow farm house.

Lois climbed up the steps, knocking softly on the door. Jonathan Kent answered the door, looking curious.

"Hello, Mr. Kent," Lois greeted, "is Clark around?"

"Lois," the older man greeted, nodding his head, "he's up at the barn."

Lois turned to face the large red barn a little ways off and nodded her head, "Thanks, Mr. Kent," Lois said brightly.

"You're welcome, Lois."

She walked off, wondering why Clark would ever hang out in a _barn_. She made her way inside, looking around the barn with pursed lips.

"Clark?" She called out, almost jumping out of her skin when Clark called her name. He was standing up on the loft, staring down at her with curiosity. She was surprised, people never sneaked up on her, especially when she was in full Kryptonian power.

"Are you trying to give me a heart attack, Smallville?" Lois exclaimed.

She spotted annoyance on his features for a moment before it quickly disappeared. "Is there something you need?" Clark inquired.

Lois started her way up the wooden stairs, looking around the loft. It was like a small room, with bookcases and a couch, a table close to the couch. "Nice place you got here," Lois commented.

"Thanks," Clark murmured.

"I heard you didn't accept Lex's gift," Lois commented, plopping down on the couch, "I'm here to try and convince you to actually take it back."

"Lex told you?" Clark asked in surprise.

"Yeah, he hoped I could knock some sense into you. What's wrong, Smallville? I thought you wanted a car?"

Clark sighed, crossing his arms, from this point of view, he looked so much taller, which was saying something, given Clark was already tall.

"It's not that I don't want it," he said, frowning, "It's just, my dad doesn't want me to keep it," he sighed, shaking his head.

* * *

_The Day Before - July 24, 2001_

_Clark knew his father wouldn't let him keep the truck, but it didn't mean Clark wasn't going to put up a fight. His father was using the chipper, but Jonathan noticed Clark as the teen walked towards him._

_Jonathan turned off the chipper, taking off his gloves. "I know how much you want it, son," he sighed, "but you can't keep it."_

_"Why not?" Clark exclaimed, confused, "I saved the guy's life!"_

_"So you think you deserve a prize?" Jonathan asked, incredulous._

_Clark clenched his jaw, shaking his head, "That's not what I meant," he said, frustrated. "look, how about you drive the new one and I'll drive the old one? Everybody wins."_

_"This is not about winning, Clark," Jonathan said, his voice harsher than intended._

_"It's not like the Luthor's can't afford it!" Clark snapped, letting his anger get a hold of him._

_Jonathan sighed, shaking his head, running a hand through his sandy blonde hair. "Do you want to know why that is, Clark?" He asked. "Do you remember Mr. Bell? We used to go fishing on his property. How about Mr. Gray? He used to send us pumpkins every Halloween. Well, Lionel Luthor promised to cut them in on a deal. He sent them flashy gifts," as he spoke he flashed the keys to the truck, clenching his jaw, "once they'd sold their property. he went back on his word. He had the evicted son!"_

_Clark stared at his father in outrage, "So, you're judging Lex on what his father did?" He exclaimed._

_"No, Clark, I'm not," Jonathan told him, "I just want you to know where the money came from that bought you that truck," he sighed, watching as Clark started up the stairs towards the loft. "I know you're upset, son, but it's normal."_

_"Normal?" Clark scoffed, stopping on his way up and dropping his backpack on the ground and trudging down the stairs, heading over to the chipper, "How about this? Is this normal?" He asked, turning on the chipper and shoving his arm inside._

_"Clark!" Jonathan exclaimed, terrified as he heard the grinding of the machine, reaching to pull out Clark's arm from the chipper, shocked when the arm came out completely fine._

_"I didn't dive in after Lex's car!" Clark exclaimed, his eyes wild, his voice close to breaking. "It hit me at sixty miles an hour! Does that sound normal to you? I'd give anything to be normal."_

_Clark walked away from his father then, a sinking feeling falling in his chest. He wouldn't be able to keep the truck. A gift from the man whose life he save, he wouldn't be able to keep it because his father didn't deem it worthy._

_Even worse, things were starting to happen, things that he didn't quite understand. These abilities he had, they'd always made him nervous, always made him afraid, always made him lie to keep it a secret. But he'd found out a new ability, an ability that made him completely immune to any harm. He got hit by a car and didn't suffer a scratch, he put his arm in a chipper and his arm came out perfectly fine. He didn't understand how this was happening to him, he didn't understand why it was happening to him._

_Clark heard the wood creak behind him and knew his father was coming up the stairs. He didn't have to wait long for Jonathan to take a seat beside him._

_"It's time, son," Jonathan sighed._

_"Time for what?" Clark asked, clearly confused._

_"The truth," Jonathan declared, producing a small object covered in a towel. He unwrapped it; the object was metal, with strange engravings on it that Clark didn't recognize. "I want you to take a look at something. I think it's from your parents," Jonathan informed, "your real parents."_

_Clark stared at it for a moment, trying to decipher the engravings on the metal, he finally gave up. "What does it say?"_

_"I tried to decipher it for years," Jonathan replied._

_"What do you mean?" Clark asked after a pause._

_Jonathan took a deep breath, "Your real parents weren't from around _here_."_

_"Where were they from?" Clark inquired, eyebrows arching when his father looked up at the starry night sky. "What are you trying to tell me, Dad? That's I'm from another planet?" He asked playfully, "And I suppose you stashed my spaceship in the attic."_

_"Actually," Jonathan started, completely surprising Clark, "it's in the storm cellar."_

_Clark didn't believe him, of course he didn't. There was no possible way that he, Clark Kent, typical Smallville farm boy- not including his weird abilities- was from another planet. There was no such thing as aliens, he wasn't an alien. But he followed his father out to the storm cellar, just to see how far he would take it._

_That's why when Jonathan uncovered a weird, large aircraft Clark could practically feel his heart stop._

_"This is how you came into our world, son," Jonathan informed. "It was the day of the meteor shower."_

_"This is a joke, right?" Clark asked, feeling his heartbeat go erratic, backing away, anger coursing through him. "Why didn't you tell me about this before?" He was practically screaming now, panic starting to take over._

_"We wanted to protect yo-"_

_"Protect me from what?" Clark exclaimed, "You should have told me!" He yelled._

_He took off then, a burst of speed allowing him to leave quickly. He didn't want to stop, he didn't _need_ to stop._

* * *

"He just deems the money bad money," Clark declared after a couple of minutes of silence, shaking his head.

Lois nodded in understanding, "I understand where your father's coming from. Luthor money was usually never gained the right way," she declared.

"I just don't want Lex to feel bad," Clark murmured.

Lois rose from her spot on the couch. "Lex is a big boy, Clark, I'm sure he's gonna be fine," she declared. "I see you have a girly side," she added, landing a punch to his chest, keeping in mind that she had to keep her strength in check.

"You're not funny," Clark told her, blue eyes narrowed.

"I'm hilarious, Smallville, what are you talking about?" Lois joked, meeting his eyes, noting the amusement he was desperately trying to keep in.

"I hope I'm not interrupting."

The two teenagers looked over to see Jonathan Kent standing at the stairs, staring at the two with a small smile on his face.

"No, you're not, I was just leaving," Lois told him, she turned to Clark with a small smile. "I'll tell him what happened, it'll be fine, don't worry about it, Smallville," she declared, keeping her statement vague. "See you tomorrow, Kent."

She made her way past by Jonathan Kent, pausing on her way down the stairs, "Bye, Mr. Kent!"

"Goodbye, Lois."

As she left the barn behind her, she paused on her way, tuning into Jonathan and Clark conversation, wanting to know if the two would mend their relationship.

"You grandfather gave me that telescope when I was about your age." She recognized Jonathan's voice, and a small smile came onto her features. "I came downstairs one morning and there it was."

There was silence for a moment before Jonathan spoke again.

"Are you okay?"

Clark chuckled, "Can I answer that in about five years?" he offered. There was a pause. "Yeah, dad. I'm glad that you and Mom were the ones that found me."

Lois frowned, realizing at that moment that the argument between Clark and his father ran a lot deeper than she thought.

"We didn't find you, Clark," Jonathan declared. "You found us."

His statement made Lois more emotional than she expected, and she immediately tuned out, trying to give them some privacy. Clearing her throat, she made her way home, opting for a walk instead of using her abilities. Tuning into the song of a cricket as she made her way down the dirt road, looking up at the starry sky, a small smile lighting up her face.


End file.
